how to plan out a course

1. Gather three previous course syllabi. Get a sense of the course goals, major assignments, and ideally a course schedule. ...
2. After reading these syllabi, answer: What should students be able to do after this course is over? ...
3. Talk to two people who have taught this course. These can be the people whose syllabi you studied, or anyone else you can get connected with. ...
4. Return to your question after talking to these people: What should students be able to do after this course is over? What new insights did these instructors give you?
5. Think major assignments. What major assignments will help your students reach this goal? (Yes, this is part of backwards course design again). ...
Start a day-by-day course schedule. Make a table in Word or another program to get a big-picture overview of the semester. ...
Niche your topics. Norman Eng is a huge advocate of this, and I refer you to his book, Teaching College. ...
Draft major assignment sheets. Get ideas on paper beyond the brief description on the syllabus. Look at old assignments for ideas. ...
Identify textbooks/class resources. Try OER Commons for open-access textbooks and other resources. Bookmark some website resources that you can later refer to. ...
Know where to go for help. Maybe one of the folks who has previously taught the course offered to answer questions that arise during the semester. ...
Add this syllabus line: “This course schedule is subject to change.” Because it probably will. ...

Full Answer

How do I plan a new course?

Begin the process early, giving yourself as much time as you can to plan a new course. Successful courses require careful planning and continual revision. Consult with colleagues who have taught the same or similar courses to learn from their strategies and their general impressions of the students who typically take the course.

What are the rules for creating a course outline?

Rules for Creating a Course Outline 1 Start With the End in Mind.#N#Begin with the solution and work backward from there.#N#What does your online training aim... 2 Structure Your Content So You Can Deliver it in the Fewest Steps Possible. More ...

How do you write a course policy?

Define course policies. Determine how you will grade all required work, including all assignments, papers, exams, and, if applicable, class participation. Decide ahead of time how you will deal with such issues as tardiness, attendance problems, work turned in late, and requests for extensions or the rescheduling of exams.

How do you decide who your course is for?

Deciding who your course is for When you’re working to plan your course content, you need to decide what level your audience is currently at. If they already know the basics of your topic and you’re going to help them advance in their skills or apply them in a new way, you don’t need to spell out the very beginning steps.

How do you write out a course?

The following are tips for writing a course description:The course description should be no longer than 100 words.Write from a student-centered perspective.Use present tense and active voice.Use clear and simple sentence structure and language.Use gender neutral language.More items...

How do you create a course structure?

3:378:04How to outline and structure an online course (Make an AMAZING course)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThink about where your student is now and the end result you'd like to create has opposite banks ofMoreThink about where your student is now and the end result you'd like to create has opposite banks of a river what major milestones.

What is a course schedule?

Word forms: class schedules. countable noun. In a school or college, a class schedule is a list that shows the times in the week at which particular subjects are taught. You can also refer to the range of subjects that a student learns or the classes that a teacher teaches as their class schedule.

Qualifications met

Some people get hung up in this stage. But as you set out to plan your course content acknowledge your fears. We realize many online course creators have that moment of panic that says, “Who am I to teach this? I’ve only just learned it myself and I’ve never taught anyone anything! I’m not even an expert!”

Narrowing down a course topic

For the purpose of this post, we’re going to imagine that you already have a pretty solid idea of what you’re going to teach. But before we go any further, let’s refine it.

Deciding who your course is for

When you’re working to plan your course content, you need to decide what level your audience is currently at. If they already know the basics of your topic and you’re going to help them advance in their skills or apply them in a new way, you don’t need to spell out the very beginning steps.

Creating your course structure

Take yourself back to when you knew what your target audience knows and nothing more. Now, start writing down every single step you took to get to where you are now, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem.

Creating your video outline

Once you’ve broken your course topic down to steps, you’ll need to buff each individual step out further. For example, sticking with our knitting example, casting on is more than just “casting on.” There is some twisting and tying and looping and pulling. List out every thing involved in each step. Don’t treat anything like it’s too obvious.

Putting it to the test

Before you go all in and commit to recording everything, consider asking a friend you trust (who doesn’t have experience with what you’re teaching) to take a critical look at your outline. Ask them what questions they might have or what gaps need filling.

Planning supplemental materials

A lot of online course creators like to add bonuses to their online course. Things like workbooks, checklists, online communities, and whatever else they can dream up. These bonuses help increase the value of your online course and sweeten the deal for people who might still be debating whether or not they want to take the plunge and purchase.

How to start planning a new course?

You can start planning with confidence and getting your mental energy away from worry and back to the most important thing: teaching and reaching your students. Here are concrete steps you can take to start planning a brand-new course you have never taught before: 1. Gather three previous course syllabi. Get a sense of the course goals, major ...

How to get a sense of the course?

1. Gather three previous course syllabi. Get a sense of the course goals, major assignments, and ideally a course schedule. Read and study them to get a sense of the course, but no need to understand every detail. Just try to get the big picture of the course. 2.

What to do before the beginning of a semester?

Before the beginning of the semester, have a basic, solid outline for the course. Know the learning goals, major assignments, course policies, and the big picture goals of the course. Don’t get bogged down in details. Trust the process, your course plan, and your ability to adapt and meet the needs of your students along the way.

How to Plan Your Course Launch in 2021

In this episode, I talk about my course creation planning process. I discuss the ADDIE Method, SAM Method, and my own unique take on how to plan and launch digital products and courses. Over the past year my team and I have created over 25 courses and my own brand developed 7 digital products and courses.

Online Course Creation Timeline

Coming from a corporate training and education background I’ve learned so much about different ways to handle planning and developing online courses.

Course Planning Timeline Example

If you are launching your first, second, or third course having a plan is important. I’m going to give you an example of what it looks like to have a plan in place for your course launch.

Grab my free Course Creator Starter Outline

Grab this free Course Creator Starter Outline so you can create high impact virtual training programs!

The Course Consultant Resources

If you’re looking to take a deeper dive into planning out your course development process, feel free to check out these resources.

How to prepare for a new course?

Begin the process early , giving yourself as much time as you can to plan a new course. Successful courses require careful planning and continual revision. Consult with colleagues who have taught the same or similar courses to learn from their strategies and their general impressions of the students who typically take the course.

What is course planning?

Course planning is a continual process, as illustrated by the diagram below. Each of the steps is necessarily undertaken with the others in mind, and each will necessarily undergo revision each time you teach a particular course. As you plan and revise courses, remember the importance of teaching core concepts and critical-thinking skills.

How to teach more material than you can cover in the allotted time?

Instructors often plan initially to teach more material than they can cover in the allotted time. Determine the structure of the course; arrange the topics in a logical order. Developing a rationale that guides the structure of the course can help you explain the material more clearly to the students.

How to define course goals?

When you define the course goals, focus on student learning. One way to formulate these goals is to determine what students should be learning in terms of content, cognitive development, and personal development. Be as specific as you can and make sure that the goals define learning in ways that can be measured.

How to teach chemistry?

Teach students problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Demonstrate how chemistry is used in other fields and in everyday situations. Teach students the beauty of chemistry. Determine course content. Select the major topics and determine the order in which you will teach them. Select the main topics to be covered.

What is the purpose of an outline in a course?

Creating an outline that serves as a guide to the course is useful for both learners as well as for you so you can develop a more effective course .

How long does it take to create an eLearning course?

The idea behind rapid eLearning is where you use every tool and strategy you can to potentially create a course in 2 to 3 weeks instead of taking several months. So within your lessons, outline the exact content you will cover.

How long should a microlearning lesson be?

Depending on how far down the path of microlearning you are going, lessons might only need to be a couple of minutes up to 10 to 15 minutes in length. There's not too much content in a 2-minute lesson so you really need to get at the heart of the topic and do so quickly if you're going that route.

What is the best tool to use to outline a project?

These are great, but with most, you will have to manually re-type your ideas into other software to use them later on. However, if you're a visual learner, mind mapping is probably the best tool for you. You can also use Trello or other productivity software to outline and manage your projects.

What is the lesson in Module 1 of Marketing?

Module 1: Marketing. Lesson 1: How to choose the right marketing strategy for your business. Topic 1: Why choose Facebook marketing. By using the modules, lessons, and topics for each new idea, you will create a system that is simple for your learner to follow.

Why do you need a script for a video lesson?

You don't want to lose your audience because you are rambling from topic to topic with no clear direction. Outlining will also help with lesson planning.

What is assessment plan?

Assessment plans fall in line with learning objectives. While your learning objectives identify what the student will learn, the assessment allows you and the student to have a clear picture of how well they have mastered the objectives. Your outline will identify the types and frequency of assessments.

What is an online syllabus?

An online syllabus is similar to one for a face-to-face course, however, research supports that online students need even more detailed instructions. For help in developing a syllabus, review writing a syllabus .

How long is hybrid online learning?

Hybrid & Online Learning. Typically, online courses are divided into weeks or modules that last anywhere from four days to two weeks. Without prescribed class meeting times, you have more options for structuring content and interactions. Here are a few important considerations:

Why Course Planning?

Getting Started with Course Planning

• Start by reviewing any course design guidelines or checklists that your program or academic director has provided. Beyond design standards, you need to consider: 1. Your course outcomes or learning objectives 2. Your preferred teaching strategies and approaches 3. The best ways to assess your students in the context of your course, discipline, and ...

See more on spscoursedesign.commons.gc.cuny.edu

Course Planning Tools

Thinking About Your Draft Syllabus and Schedule

Things to Do

References